Around Town, (08/26/14)

The Merced City School District will hold a Contractor and Vendors Outreach Workshop on Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Rivera Middle School, 645 Buena Vista Drive. Thirty to 50 local contractors are expected to attend the event, where they can find out about bidding on the Rivera Middle School expansion project as well as long-term modernization at all district campuses. For more information or to register, call Tania Masseroni at the district’s Facilities Department, (209) 385-6694.

McSwain advisory council

The McSwain Municipal Advisory Council will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at McSwain Elementary School, 926 Scott Road. Dana Hertfelder, director of Merced County Public Works, will give a brief presentation regarding roads and current projects. All McSwain residents are encouraged to attend.

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Uke ’n Reed, the pop-swing quartet, returns to the 510 Bistro at Bob Hart Square from 7 to 9 p.m Friday. Dining, dancing and cocktails with songs so old they’re as good as new.

Literacy Awareness Month

During Literacy Awareness Month in September, the Merced County Library’s Read and Succeed adult literacy program needs to recruit 50 more volunteer tutors to help the hundreds of Merced adults who can’t read or have difficulty reading. Orientation will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Merced Main Library, 2100 O St., Merced. A training session will be from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13. For those who decide to tutor, orientation is the prerequisite to training. Events are free. For information, call (209) 385-7391. RSVP required.

Farmers Insurance lunch

All women who worked at the Farmers Insurance Group regional office are invited to lunch. We are meeting Sept. 4 at Carrows Restaurant on Motel Drive, Merced. Starting at 11 a.m., we will order from the menu as we arrive. Call (209) 723-4317 for information or to make reservation.

MS Challengers

MS Challengers, a monthly self-help group for people living with multiple sclerosis and their family members, and sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, will meet 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at the First Baptist Church, 500 Buena Vista Drive in Merced. There is no cost or registration required. For more information, call Susan (209) 631-7279 or visit msconnection.org.

SPCA training rescheduled

A Merced SPCA volunteer orientation and training session scheduled for Saturday has been canceled. It will take place Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Merced SPCA, 1021 E. Child's Ave.

Yosemite National Park events

Yosemite National Park will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and the 30th anniversary of the California Wilderness Act from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 3. Special events will take place throughout the day in Yosemite Valley to honor and celebrate the signing of these two acts, engage the public to better understand and appreciate wilderness, bring wilderness conservation organizations together and connect with youths and people who don’t visit wilderness areas. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/newsreleases.htm.